Showbiz Review

Published: Friday, December 28, 2007, 17:20 [IST]

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You cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt have, most of the times, [i] Opted for stories that mirror the times when those movies were attempted and [ii] Encouraged new talent, be it an actor or director or writer or music composer or singer. In Showbiz, the Bhatts dare to unmask a section of the media that indulges in foul play and cares two hoots for ethics and scruples.

Also, Showbiz marks the directorial debut of choreographer Raju Khan and stars two freshers in the lead -- Tushar Jalota and Mrinalini Sharma.

Unfortunately, Showbiz is a good idea gone wrong. Writers Raju Khan and Mudassar Aziz partly succeed in exposing the spineless media persons, who, in their pursuit of making that extra buck and accomplish soaring TRPs, stoop to abysmal lows to achieve their target.

Great idea, but the web the writers create tears apart halfway through the film. What follows thereafter is a childish take on settling scores by the protagonist. From reality, the script suddenly reverts to make-believe. Nope, maza nahin aaya.

In short, this car meets with a breakdown much before it can reach its destination!

For rising star Rohan Arya [Tushar Jalota], the paparazzi are at first an annoyance, then an ever-disturbing presence. He becomes a target of a team of four paparazzi, who are bent on making him fodder for the news channels. And when they stumble upon a sensitive nerve, all hell breaks loose.

Rohan has been on the lookout for a prostitute called Tara. When he finally finds her, the paparazzi trap Rohan and Tara in a high-speed chase that ends in a terrible accident and leaves Tara in a coma. The media frenzies with news of Rohan's accident with a prostitute in his car. Rohan seeks vengeance. But why? What connection does this prostitute have with Rohan?

Show business and media go hand in hand and Showbiz tries to expose the ruthless games some media persons indulge in. The characters of Sushant Singh, Amin Hajee and their two partners-in-crime are very life-like and the games they play are identifiable as well. At least those in the media industry would agree that a few rotten tomatoes do exist in their fraternity.

The drama is exciting in the first hour and the crash at the intermission point leaves you in a pensive mood thanks to the repulsive attitude of a few people. But the promises are not met with in the second hour. The protagonist wants to settle scores, but keeps quiet when the top cop [Ehsaan Khan] questions him time and again. Why does he maintain this stoic silence? Also, the entire climax is so ridiculous from the writing point of view that it makes you feel that the writers just didn't know how to conclude the story.

Debutante director Raju Khan is yet to learn the art of storytelling. Sure, a few scenes are well handled, but the writing as also the execution of the material is below the mediocre mark. Lalit Pandit's music is average. 'Tu Jabse Mujhse Mila Hai Jaana' and 'Meri Palak Ka Tuhi Sitara' are two tracks that make some impression. Cinematography is just about okay.

Tushar Jalota's expressions are right at several places, but he needs to go easy in scenes that demand anger/outburst. Overall, a decent performance! Mrinalini does a good job, although her character could've been better developed. Sushant Singh is excellent, Gulshan Grover is perfect, Saurabh Shukla is efficient, Sachin Khedekar is wasted, Amin Hajee is alright, Ehsaan Khan is impressive and Delnaaz Paul is first-rate.

On the whole, Showbiz lacks the power to keep you hooked. Disappointing!